Updated 2022 Rankings: Guards (5-1)

One of the coolest things about the new Prep Hoops rankings is that it automatically ranks players by position, allowing you to see the rankings among PGs, CGs, SGs, SFs, PFs and Cs. However, new school guys like me who believe in relatively positionless basketball, as the game trends that way, believes that you can simplify the game to just three positions in guards, wings and bigs. So, I took the time to breakdown the rankings into the three positions, and have ranked the top 25 in each position. Here’s a look at some of the top point guards and shooting guards, looking at numbers 5-1 in the new rankings. 5) [player_tooltip player_id="815583" first="Kanye" last="Clary"] | 5’11” | Massanutten (#13 Overall) <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/11/Kanye-Clary.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1085340" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/11/Kanye-Clary-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> Clary was one of the top point guards int he 757 over the past few years, and he chose to move on to Massanutten so he could play against top level post grad players and programs despite being just a junior in high school. One of the most dynamic and shifty point guards in the state, Clary is lightning quick off the bounce, has a ridiculously tough handle as he keeps it on a string and he’s very shifty as he can change directions on a dime and changes speeds extremely well. He’s improved as a shooter from deep, has a great middle game with an array of floaters and pull-ups to negate his size and he sees the floor extremely well and makes plays as if everything is in slow motion to him. 4) Efrem “Butta” Johnson | 6’4” | Western Branch (#10 Overall) <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/Johnson-Efrem-CBG.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1063292" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/Johnson-Efrem-CBG-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> Johnson likely won’t be in the next 2022 class rankings as he recently moved to Alabama where he scored 30 points in his first game of the season, and it won’t take scouts and coaches down there to realize what he showed over the past year here in VA. The 6’4” combo guard is someone who can flat out fill it up in every way imaginable, but he’s also a heady and unselfish playmaker who can make his teammates better as well. He’s very adept at creating space off the bounce and can really shoot it when he gets it going, and he’s able to heat up quickly and score it in bunches when he gets it going. He has a great feel for the game and knack for scoring the basketball, and he’ll surely continue to put up big numbers out there. 3) Knasir “Dug” McDaniel | 5’9” | Paul VI (#8 Overall) <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2019/07/Dug-McDaniel.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-792123" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2019/07/Dug-McDaniel-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> The next in a long line of superstar guards at PVI, McDaniel has continued to improve since he broke on the scene as a freshman and is being courted by high major programs all over the country. A consensus top 100 player, McDaniel isn’t the biggest guy but he’s a lightning quick guard that brings unreal toughness and playmaking ability to his team and is a leader on both ends of the floor. He’s extremely shifty off the bounce and able to get in the lane at will, and he’s a threat to make plays late in the shot clock with his ability to run the pick-and-roll and create plays in isolation situations. He’s a very good athlete who is a lock down on-ball defender, he fights for 50-50 balls and will sacrifice his body for his team and he’s able to hurt oppositions as both a scorer and a playmaker off the bounce. 2) [player_tooltip player_id="815580" first="Donald" last="Hand Jr."] | 6’4” | Landstown (#6 Overall) <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/Hand-DJ-CBG.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1072304" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/Hand-DJ-CBG-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> The guy who is probably most overlooked on a national level on this list, Hand Jr. is going to be one of the top scorers in the 757 this year and has a ton of tools that translate to the next level already. To start, Hand has terrific size as a scoring guard and he’s a smooth athlete that’s getting more explosive every time I see him. He’s a true scorer that has deep range off the catch and off the bounce, he can easily create space and can make tough shots off the bounce and he’s such a good shooter that moving him off the ball works well too. He’s a true three-level scorer that has rounded out his game and is able to score it in bunches when he gets it going, and he’s a guy who loves the big moments and will take over a game when he needs to. 1) [player_tooltip player_id="787667" first="Jayden" last="Epps"] | 6’1” | King’s Fork (#4 Overall) <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/06/Epps.png"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1012357" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/06/Epps-300x284.png" alt="" width="300" height="284" /></a> Epps has arguably the best resume of anyone on this list, and has been a consensus nationally ranked kid on all of the platforms over the past few years. He led the 757 in scoring last year at just under 30 points per game playing a gauntlet of a schedule, and helped his team to a co-state championship before the championship game was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Epps is a dynamic guard that can flat out fill it up when he gets it going, as he has range out to the volleyball line, blow by speed and good strength to take contact and he can score it in the midrange with floaters and at the rim as he’s become more explosive. He’s also a solid playmaker and a competitor who likes to matched up with the best and brings it on the defensive end as well. He trimmed his list to six this fall, as he’s considering NC State, Virginia Tech, Arkansas, Florida, Texas A&M and Providence.